TWO men and a 16-year-old boy have been locked up for stealing antique communion silver from a church - some dating back more than 150 years.

Worshippers at Holcombe's Emmanuel Church, were left distraught after the vestry was ransacked and three safes containing chalices, offertory plates, and money, were forced open in June last year.

Leon Steven Dearden (22), Sean Ian Scott (20) and a 16-year-old boy from Ramsbottom, admitted committing the burglary and were sentenced at Bolton Crown Court last week. However, the stolen items - some of which were bequested to the church in 1853 - have still not been recovered.

Dearden, of Walnut Avenue, Bury, was given a total prison term of three years, including a term of 12 months for burglary and handling stolen goods in relation to the church. He was also convicted of two other burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, and failing to surrender to custody.

Scott, of Holden Avenue, Ramsbottom, received a sentence of 18 months in a young offenders institute for the church burglary. The term included sentences for another burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a four month training and detention order for his part in the burglary.

Inspector Steve Clark, head of Ramsbottom Police, said after the case: "I am grateful for the hard work that the detectives did in getting the evidence together to be able to successfully prosecute these people, but it is disappointing that we have never been able to recover the church's silverware. We would still like to recover that for the church, because it was valued greatly by the people there for its age and its historic connections with the church."

The Rev John Armstrong believes there is still a sense of loss among the villagers who worship at the church in Chapel Lane. He said: "It was a huge shock for people when the church was broken into, and some people said they felt like their own homes had been burgled. The items which were stolen have still not been returned to us, and we have had no word on where they are. We have recently received money from the insurance company to replace them, but for now we are still borrowing communion silver from other churches.

"We are all very glad that the police have been able to bring these prosecutions and that they have been successful. I hope that those who were involved in the crimes have learned something valuable for the future."